New Belarus 20 rouble silver coin

[Marek]

Hi there
I just got nice colored silver coin from Belarus, dedicated to famous paiter Ilja Repin.
Some facts about him: Ilya Yefimovich Repin (Russian: Илья́ Ефи́мович Ре́пин, Ukrainian: Ілля Юхимович Рєпін, (5 August [O.S. 24 July] 1844, Chuguyev, Kharkov Governorate, Russian Empire – September 29, 1930, Kuokkala, Viipuri Province, Finland) was a leading Russian  painter and sculptor of the Peredvizhniki artistic school. An important part of his work is dedicated to his native country, Ukraine. His realistic works often expressed great psychological depth and exposed the tensions within the existing social order. Beginning in the late 1920s, detailed works on him were published in the Soviet Union, where a Repin cult developed about a decade later, and where he was held up as a model "progressive" and "realist" to be imitated by "Socialist Realist" artists in the USSR. You can read more about him from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilya_Repin
About coin:
Silver, Alloy standard of silver: 925 
Denomination: 20 rubles 
Weight of coin: 28.28 g 
Fine silver content: 26.16 g 
Quality: "brilliant–uncirculated"   
with pad–printing, square shaped, size: 40.0 х 28.0 mm
Regards,
Marek

[scottishmoney]

Very interesting and a piece I might be interested to try to find in Ukraine.

[TwoShadows]

Marek can you tell us the cost for this square silver coin. I do like odd shaped coins but most of them take forever to reach the states. Some can be found on Ebay but most are then over priced and over rated. I do like this design very much. You did not mention the mintage? Is that figure known?

[Nighthawk]

Very nice coin. Thanks for sharing!

[scottishmoney]

Marek wrote and asked if I can find these in Ukraine, so far I have not seen many Belarus coins - most of what I see is Ukrainian or Russian.  The prices for coins here are not what I would expect, in fact they are higher than I feel they should be.  Lots of sellers are not very negotiable with prices either, I have tried to buy the 75 anniversary Donets'k Oblast 2 Hryven, and it is priced at about $15, which is much more than the approximately 25 US cents face value of the coin.  On fleaBay the coins have BIN's of $20-25 which is even more ridiculous.

[Marek]

Hi Terry,
I don't know mintage for that coin. Belarus coins regular mintage is very different from 3000 pcs to 30000 and more.
I payd for that coin 40 euros. I got it thru Lithuanian coin seller and inside a 40 euros is also a sending from Lithuania to Estonia.
If to be honest, Belarus coins are very madly overprized, but in another hand, they are hard to get and maybe worth that mad price 
A few more pics from my Belarus collection:





Greeting from Estonia,

Marek

[Tobyle]

I like these ones! Thanks for the pictures!

[ElleKitty]

I only have the one Belarus coin, and I got it for my Kitty collection.  The picture of it is up on the website somewhere, I can't find it at the moment.

I see a lot of gorgeous silver coins coming out of Belarus, but what I haven't seen is any circulating coinage.

[scottishmoney]

Belarus doesn't have any circulating coinage, only paper money that is inflated.  There was talk of a re-valuation earlier this year which would have introduced coins again, but so far that has not happened. For awhile it appeared as though Belarus and Russia would merge into a federation and that Belarus would adopt the Russian ruble as it's currency, but ongoing differences with gas payments, even now disputes over Abkhazia and S. Ossetia seem to be drawing Russia and Belarus farther apart.

[TwoShadows]

I have a few coins from Belarus that have caught my eye since the turn of the century. If I remember correctly the first silver commemorative was literally smuggled out of the country but I had to have it! I have since bought a couple on Ebay that grabbed my eye. Those that I have seen are very artistic and well executed with exceptional strikes and luster. I enjoy the history and culture that can be found in coinage but to see the artistic beauty that some countries manage to display on silver coins is overwhelming compared to other nations. I believe my Swans are from Belarus but I would have to check to make sure. Outstanding piece of work!!!